When we talk to potential clients and demonstrate Optima LRMS to them, they all sound excited about the possibilities of the system and are in some way relieved about the fact that there is a tool they can rely on to help them optimise their daily routine in the laboratory and drastically reduce the time and costs associated with scheduling and planning
At another stage of the selection process, there is usually a question that worries clients: “How much time and effort is required to implement a LRMS like Optima into our processes”?
And here we come with an answer that can hopefully reassure all clients who are showing some reluctance because they fear having to make a massive change with an enormous effort in their organisation
It is easier than expected. Hassle-free, not at all time-consuming and not expensive.
An LRMS does not require you to redesign your processes, but to input all the information about your processes so that the software builds a data matrix that works as expected
So what information is needed for Optima LRMS to work correctly and do thorough planning and scheduling?
We have identified three important parameters that relate to 1) the people who will be involved in conducting the tests, 2) the instruments that will be needed to conduct the tests, 3) the tests that will be conducted.
- People and Competence Matrix
Your staff list is uploaded into Optima with relevant information about their location, the department they belong to, their working hours, shift and competences. And every time a member of your team is promoted, receives new training, or acquires new competencies that entitle him/her to perform new tasks, this information can in turn be updated in LRMS so that the system immediately knows who to call on when scheduling tasks
If your company has a HR management system, it is even easier: the external system can be integrated with Optima via web services to enable instant synchronisation of data – you do not have to think about it, the system does it all!
- Instrument Booking and Maintenance Program
Your instrument list is uploaded with all the useful information the Optima Engine needs to understand when to select the instrument for a particular test. What location or department is your instrument in? How many hours a day can the instrument operate? Are there certain parameters that the system needs to know in relation to each instrument when it comes to planning and scheduling?
We also find that many companies utilise their instruments to 100% capacity. There is a risk that tasks have to be postponed or rejected when sudden, urgent, short notice requests arrive. To curb this problem, we have introduced the “Booking” function: You can pre-book a certain percentage of the instrument’s time (10%, 20% depending on your needs) in advance so that LRMS is preserving the instrument for specific tasks in the percentage of time saved
You can book a certain percentage of the instrument’s time (10%, 20% as needed) in advance so that LRMS keeps the instrument for certain tasks in the percentage of time saved.
A valuable feature for our existing clients who see possibilities to anticipate last minutes demands and make sure that daily routine is not impacted.
In addition, the instruments must be serviced, calibrated, and maintained at certain intervals. You can specify this in the configuration of the instrument and Optima LRMS will automatically skip it from the list of available instruments when it needs maintenance.
Last but not least is the list of your tests
Each of your tests has its own information such as duration, steps, project name and other useful information to make reporting easier
A test can consist of different steps, e.g., sample preparation, test environment preparation, test verification, test validation, etc. All steps can be configured, and each step leads to a specific task assigned to a person and an instrument. It goes without saying that the more information you provide to the LRMS, the better it can plan!
At this stage, everything is set up – Optima LRSM is fully operational and ready to work from day one!
Optima’s team consists of experts in laboratory and quality processes. The team is able to quickly understand your business needs and priorities and have technical discussions about your analytical laboratory processes, requirements, best practises, and training programmes
In addition, the Optima team has the expertise to seamlessly guide you through an integration project with your legacy systems such as LIMS, ERP, training management software. Our team therefore proactively supports you – both strategically and operationally – in configuring the system to get you up and running in less than the blink of an eye!
Do not hesitate to contact us at info@optima.life